Overview

Numerical redundancy has been the watchword in data storage backup and archive for decades. Industry consolidation has left the storage industry with only two enterprise disk manufacturers and a few for tape; a defect or malware in firmware could wipe out massive amounts of data. A huge storm or terrorist event could take out a substantive geographic area. Society’s Genome discusses these threats and more in detail.

Every firm and IT department wants to protect its own data, but “Society’s Genome” refers to the corpus of knowledge required to preserve modernity.

The data required to support modern agriculture, modern energy production, and modern transportation and trade threaten a new “Dark Ages” if lost.

The key to data’s survival, like the survival of a species, is diversity. Organizations need to be vigilant: preserve a copy on tape or optical and not just on disk, a copy far away, a copy online and a copy offline. The book, Society’s Genome, explores several facets of diversity and lays out plans to help preserve society’s collective digital knowledge.